This Kind of Daydreaming Is Connected to Better Brain Health, No Matter Your Age

The term was coined by the late psychologist Jerome Singer, who was dubbed the “father of daydreaming.” From his research, Singer broke daydreaming into three categories:

Positive constructive daydreaming, which features playful, wishful images and planning
Guilty-dysphoric daydreaming, which is characterized by obsessive and anguished fantasies
Poor attentional control, which is trouble focusing on an ongoing thought or a task you’re supposed to be doing (i.e. the kind of daydreaming that typically gets a bad rap)
“Positive constructive daydreaming is associated with a broad array of positive constructs, including creativity, planning, problem-solving, memory consolidation, and self-reflection,” says Stella Panos, PhD, a neuropsychologist and director of neuropsychology for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California. “This is different than other types of mind-wandering that do not seem to have a beneficial impact.”